


How Hard Could It Be?

by jacksparrow589



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Babysitting, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Little Rayla, M/M, Parental Runaan, Toddler trouble, fics to make you go "awwww"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 04:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18045695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacksparrow589/pseuds/jacksparrow589
Summary: Runaan and his husband find that babysitting a young Moonshadow elf who is just learning her powers is perhaps more than they'd bargained for, especially when it comes to getting her to face what she hates most: a bath. Hilarity ensues, mostly for Runaan's husband.





	How Hard Could It Be?

**Author's Note:**

> It's clear that Runaan is like a second father to Rayla, and while there's no solid word on it in canon as yet, I figured I'd make the tinker elf Rayla's uncle by blood, and make him and Runaan married for good measure. They're babysitting her because her parents are on shift for guarding the dragon king, if that's even how that works. Your guess is as good as mine, here, folks.

As frustrated as Runaan was, he had to admit that he was also rather impressed.

He'd been trying to coax Rayla to bathe, and had gotten to the point of carrying her to the tub, when rather suddenly, the light of the full moon streaming in through the window had allowed her to access her powers. Runaan hadn't thought they'd be quite so developed—Moonshadow elf toddlers could generally go a bit blurry at best, and even at Rayla's age they weren't usually capable of disappearing quite so completely.

In his shock, he'd let go of her, and she'd run away, and for several moments, all Runaan could do was look out the window and blink. _A skilled Moonshadow warrior, bested by a four-year-old._ _This is truly a new low._ He stood and wandered off to find his niece.

* * *

 

A few minutes later, he wandered into his husband's workshop. Half- or nearly-finished pieces of all sorts covered the walls, and at the center of the more-or-less organized chaos, one—no, _two_ —of his favorite people stood. Now that she was out of the moonlight, Rayla was mostly visible.

“...and we attach the clasp like so—” They both looked up, and Runaan's husband smiled. Rayla silently moved behind her uncle, clinging to his leg.

“A little more trouble than you thought, eh?”

Runaan chose not to dignify the teasing question with an answer, though he had the grace to look just a little abashed. “Come now, little one. You'll be fine.”

“I don't wanna bath!” Rayla's tiny hands only tightened their grasp. “I don't need a bath!”

Her uncle sighed, though his smile remained intact. He bent to pick Rayla up, and she burrowed into his neck in an apparent effort to make Runaan cease to exist by not acknowledging him. “Rayla, dearest, I know it's scary, but believe me, you _do_ need a bath. At the very least, you need to not smell _quite_ so much like moonberry jam.”

Rayla pouted. “I _like_ moonberries! I _don't_ like baths!”

“Yes, but... you want to be a big, strong warrior like your parents and uncle Runaan, yes?” Rayla nodded. “Well, if you go out smelling like moonberries, you might attract banthers, or worse, humans.”

Rayla looked skeptical, but loosened her grip on her uncle's tunic just a bit.

“I've seen humans, Rayla,” Runaan offered, stepping closer. His husband flashed him a bit of a warning look, but Runaan's return look asked for trust. “Do you know what they do? They take those extra fingers they have, and they...” He grabbed her lightly. “ _Tickle_ you until you can't bear it any longer!”

Rayla shrieked and giggled. Runaan had to dodge so her horns didn't catch him in the chin. He shot a look that said S _ee? I know what I'm doing!_ before waltzing away with Rayla.

* * *

“I never realized how much she could wail, honestly!” Runaan was exhausted, and only just now beginning to dry. Things had not gone quite so smoothly once Rayla was in the water, though he'd managed to get the gobs of jam out of her hair and off her hands before she'd well and truly started protesting.

Now, clad in pajamas and deeply asleep, she was draped on her uncle, who in turn was lounged on a sofa. Runaan sat next to him, an arm around his husband's shoulder, and his hand draped at just the right angle to gently ruffle Rayla's hair affectionately every so often.

“She's a spirited little girl,” was the quiet reply.

“Do you wish she'd been more gifted in craftwork? Illusions?” Runaan was genuinely curious.

“Some days, yes.” There was a pause. “But there's no denying she will be talented, and I'd never take that away from her.” It was clear Rayla wasn't the only person he was talking about.

Runaan turned to face his husband. “I'm not leaving you. You are precious— _you_ are what I fight for. I don't want you to forget that.” He leaned his forehead against his husband's, and held him close. “I love you. My duty is to Xadia, but my heart is yours.”

“You've got the soul of a poet.” His husband gave him a quick kiss. “But you are a terrible assistant, so I must admit that it's probably best that you're doing something you're actually good at.”

Runaan gawped at him. “Did you just say that I'm--”

“I'd better go put Rayla in an actual bed.” The grin was still on his face, but he'd never moved quite so fast.

Runaan sat back, mystified for the second time that night. Wonders would truly never cease.

**Author's Note:**

> I love it when couples tease each other. I think it's a good, comfortable dynamic. Also, I apparently love putting in the Headbutt of Love that segues into a quick kiss. I guess it's my way of showing how comfortably in love people are? ^^;
> 
> I also feel like Runaan is fully capable of being lovingly paternal, and even just straight-up mushy when it comes to it, though I did try to keep at least some of his intensity. I feel like he's the sort of elf who adapts to his situation.


End file.
